Murder and mystery spark unexpected romance in this captivating new tale from the beloved  New York Times  bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell. On the surface Shaye Townsend has little in common with Tanner. He's a hard-edged big city cop come home to the historic Davis family ranch to settle his uncle's estate. She's working for an environmental conservancy that acquires and protects old ranches—and she wants to preserve the Davis homestead. When the suspicious death of Tanner's uncle at his ranch throws the two opposites together, tempers flare and sparks fly. While they have trouble seeing eye to eye, Shaye and Tanner agree on one thing: They need to uncover the truth. Combining their unique skills—Shaye's low-key approach and local connections and Tanner's experience as a homicide detective—the unlikely pair share long nights in the pursuit of justice. Before they know it, the friction they generate turns to heat, igniting a love neither ever expected to find. They believe passion this intense cannot last. But when Shaye becomes a killer's target, Tanner realizes he'd give up anything to protect her—including his life. “Romantic suspense at its best.” - Booklist “the characters ring true, and the action concludes with an exciting chase through a desolate Sierra Nevada terrain of abandoned mine shafts and aborted dreams.” - Publishers Weekly “There is no finer guarantee of outstanding romance than the name of Elizabeth Lowell.” - Romantic Times BOOKclub “You know when you pick up an Elizabeth Lowell book, you’re going to get strong characters, a vivid setting and a thrilling story.” - USA Today Praise for Dangerous Refuge “Smart, realistic characters, a beautifully described setting, a cultural/economic issue that deserves to be highlighted, and an intriguing puzzle meld into a riveting mystery that won’t disappoint.” - Library Journal “The fabulous talent . . . dazzles the imagination and bewitches the heart.” - Rave Reviews Murder and mystery spark unexpected romance in this captivating new tale from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell Tanner is a hard-edged, big-city cop come home to the historic Davis family ranch to settle his uncle’s estate. Shaye Townsend works for an environmental conservancy that acquires and protects old ranches—and she wants to preserve the Davis homestead. When the suspicious death of Tanner’s uncle at his ranch throws the two opposites together, tempers flare and sparks fly. While they have trouble seeing eye-to-eye, Shaye and Tanner agree on one thing: They need to uncover the truth. Combining their unique skills, the unlikely pair share long nights in the pursuit of justice. Before they know it, the friction they generate turns to heat, igniting a love neither ever expected to find. And when Shaye becomes a killer’s target, Tanner realizes he’d give up anything to protect her—including his life. New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell has more than eighty titles published to date with over twenty-four million copies of her books in print. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her husband, with whom she writes novels under a pseudonym. Her favorite activity is exploring the Western United States to find the landscapes that speak to her soul and inspire her writing. Dangerous Refuge By Elizabeth Lowell HarperCollins Publishers Copyright © 2013 Elizabeth Lowell All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-06-213273-4 ONE THERE WAS NO doubt about it. He was dead. Shaye Townsend swallowed hard, breathed care- fully through her clenched teeth, and swallowed again. The sick feeling subsided. The grief didn't. Although it wasn't the first time she had seen death, it was the first time she had known the person who died. Lorne Davis was lying on his back, lean and dark and motionless as the black shoulders of the moun- tains holding up the western sky. The air had a bite that whispered of summer's end. The first sunlight of day was caressing the highest icy peaks, but there was no warmth yet. The sky was clear, endless. No need to feel for a pulse, she thought as tears blurred her vision. No need to cry, either. He died the way he wanted to, boots on, working the land he loved more than anything else. The deeply slanted sidelight revealed no sign of a struggle around the body or any flailing pain before the end. Death had come quickly. It had taken the scaven- gers a while longer, but they, too, had arrived. If Lorne had been wearing a hat, it had vanished in the restless 2 Elizabeth Lowell wind. He wasn't wearing a jacket, either. It must have been warm when he died. Whenever that had been. The rising sun showed more than Shaye wanted to see, more than enough for her to guess that Lorne had spent at least a day in the open. Probably more. I can't even cover his ruined face. The local deputies would lecture her if she went any closer to the body than she was now. So would her vol- unteer search- and- rescue un